In this issue, you’ll find a variety of projects dealing with the theme Measurement & Sensors. I’ll highlight just a few of the exciting projects here.

Shipping packages is always a hassle. The most annoying parts of the ordeal for me are usually attempting to find the right sized box and using packing tape, which I either can’t find or have to claw my way into because the end of the tape is stuck to the roll. Then there’s the line at the Post Office or shipping store. That line can be a nightmare, especially around the holidays, or basically whenever you’re busy and the line is inevitably 10-people deep. Now that the major shipping companies have put their operations online, you can cut down on the frustration of waiting in line at least. But what do you do when you need to weigh and measure your package? John Peterson designed an efficient system called the Weasure that handles those tasks with ease (p. 12). He built a wood frame and installed a digital scale and a Renesas SKP16C62P evaluation board. When a package is placed on the scale, its weight and dimensions are displayed on the board’s LCD. With the simple press of a button, that data is uploaded to a PC. John also wrote software to fill out the shipping form on UPS’s web site. John won Second Prize in the Renesas M16C Design Contest 2005 with this unique project.

If you’d like to combine your interests and one of those interests happens to be beer, we have a truly fun project to kick off your summer. “Home-Brewed HERMS” chronicles Mark Nesdoly’s process of designing a heat exchange recirculating mash system for making beer (p. 20). The main components of the system are a Microchip PIC18F452 microcontroller and a National Semiconductor LM35DH temperature sensor. Sure there are micro brewery kits out there that make home brewing pretty easy, but what’s the fun in that? Mark built his system from scratch. If you want a similar challenge, Mark has provided step-by-step instructions to help you build your own.

Devices and applications that improve the experience of using a computer are definitely popular among consumers. There’s always a market for user-friendly offerings that provide high functionality and convenience. But the price has to be low enough. Glove mice, for example, are too expensive for most people. Andrew Sawchuk and Joseph Tanen developed the more affordable Airmouse using Analog Devices ADXL203 accelerometers and an Atmel ATmega32 microcontroller (p. 38). They asked people of various ages and computer experience to test the glove by playing an online game. The positive results from the test group proved how well the Airmouse functions as well as how quickly users can adapt to it and how easy it is to use.

When you’re getting ready to start your next project that deals with measurement and sensors, these articles along with the rest in this issue will provide some great tips and solutions.

jennifer.huber@circuitcellar.com